Grapple.



H WElCKEL.

GRAPPLE- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1912.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

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H. WEICKEL.

GRAPPIE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I5, I918.

1,276,143. Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY WEICKEL, OF MILWAUKEE, WISGONS IN, ASSIGNOR T0 PAWLING AND HARNISCI'IFEGER CGMPANY, (3F VJEST MILWAUKEE, WI$CONSIN, A CORPO- RATION OF WISCONSIN.

GRAPPLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY VVEIOKE a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the countyv of Milwaukee and State of Vvisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grrapples, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates particularly to grapples designed to handle railway ties, logs, rails and similar articles.

Its main objects are to facilitate picking up, transferring from place to place and depositing such articles in piles, and generally to improve the construction and operation of devices of this class for the purpose stated.

It consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims. l

In the accompanyingdrawing like characters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a grapple embodying the invention, a hoisting drum from which the grapple is suspended being shown in cross section, and the electric motor circuit and controlling mechanism being ping the motor when the grapple is opened v and closed; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the grapple; and Fig. l is a side elevation thereof as viewed from the left relative to Fig. 1.

The grapple comprises a portable frame, which may be constructedas shown, with channel bar side members 1, rigidly connected by cross members 2 and 3, which may be cast with bearings for moving parts of the grapple.

Horizontal shafts 4 and 5, are mounted in the frame parallel with each other and with the side members 1. Approximately L-shaped grapple arms 6 and 7, are mounted in pairs on the shafts 4iand 5, from which arms or extensions 8,.and the arms 7 are formed or provided at their upper ends with Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Al'lg. 20, 1918.

Application filed June 15, 1918.

Serial No. 240,178.

slotted, and suspending sheaves 1st are centrally journaled therein on axes parallel with and equidistant from the shafts l and 5. As shown in Fig. 1, suspending cables,

15, fastened atone end to the grapple frame ad]acent to the sheaves 14:, pass thence upwardly around a hoisting drum 16 of a crane, trolley, or other hoisting or conveying device with which the grapple is adapted to be used. From the drum 1,6 the cables pass downwardly around the sheaves 14:, and thence back upwardly to the drum, to

. which they are attached at the other end.

A reversible electric motor 20, mounted on the grapple frame, 1s provided, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, with a driving worm 21 on its armature shaft or a shaft connected therewlth and arranged transversely to the shaft 4:. A sleeve 23,

, loosely mounted on the shaft 4, is provided {with a pinion 24 and with a worm gear 25,

meshing with the worm 21.

A transmission shaft 28 mounted in cross members 2 and 3 of the grappleframe be, tween and parallelwith the shafts 4: and 5, ,is provided with a pinion 29 and with a loose gear 30 meshing with the pinion 24: and connected by a yieldable friction coupling 31 with said shaft. The shaft 5 on which the grapple arms 7 are fixed, is provided with a segment gear 33, which meshes with the pinion 29.

For stopping the motor and preventing injury to the mechanism when the grapple is closed and opened, an automatic circuit breaker isprovided, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprising a pair of contact levers 35 and 36, provided with opposing insulated electric contacts 87 and 38 and connected with each other by a spring 39, which tends to move said contacts toward each other. The levers 35 and 36 are fulcrumed adjacent to each other on a bracket 4-1, depending from the grapple frame adjacent to the shaft 5,

and have arms extending inwardly from their fulcrums toward said shaft into the path of arms 43 and 4-4, adjustably mounted on the shaft 5. A relatively stationary but preferably yielding contact 46 is supported by an arm 47 on the bracket 41 betweenand in the path of the movable lever contacts 37 and 38. The motor circuit as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1, is provided with a controller for manually closing and break ing the circuit and reversing the current through the motor. This controller is usually located at a distance from the grapple, as in the cage of the crane or hoist, from which the grapple is suspended.

50, 51, 52 and 53 represent movable contacts, and 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60, fixed contacts of the controller. 62 and 63 represent the main leads or conductors of the motor circuit, provided with a cut-out switch 64.

The main 62 is connected with one terminal of the motor field, and the main 63 with the fixed contact 60. The fixed contact 55 is connected with the other terminal of the field. The contact 56 is connected with the contact 38, the contacts 57 and 58 are connected with each other and with one terminal of the motor armature, and the contact 59 is connected with the contact 37.

The contact 46 is connected with the other terminal of the armature.

In the operation of the grapple, assuming that the grapple is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, and it is desired to open the same for discharging a load, the operator turns the controller handle to carry the contacts 50 and 51 into engagement with the contacts 55, 56, 58 and 60, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. By this operation the circuit is closed through the field and armature of the motor 20, and current flows in a di rection indicated by full line arrows from the main 62 through the motor field, thence i when the grapple is closed.

through contacts 55, 50 and 56 to contact 38 which is in engagement with the contact 46,

thence through the motor armature, and

thence through contacts 57, 58, 51 and 60 to the other main 63. The motor armature be ing rotated in the proper direction, operates through the transmission gearing hereinbefore described, to swing-the grapple arms 6 and 7 away from each other, and thereby release and discharge their lead. The arm 43 being turned upwardly with the initial opening movement of the grapple arms 6 and 7, releases the contact lever 35 and permits the spring 39 to carry the contact 37 into engagement with the contact 46, as shown in Fig. 2. As the grapple arms approach the limit of their opening movement, the arm 44 engages the tail of the contact lever 36 and shifts the contact 38 out of engagement with the contact 46, thereby breaking the circuit, arresting the motor and stopping the grapple arms when they are opened to the desired extent. The grapple arms are locked and held in their closed or open position by the engagement of the driving worm 21 with the worm gear 25.

If in the operation the grapple arms encounter obstructions opposing sufficient resistance to their movement to break or injure the mechanism, the clutch or coupling 31 will slip, permitting the gear 30 to turn on the transmission shaft 28 until the motor is stopped.

To close the grapple for picking up a load, the operator turns the controller arm or handle in the reverse direction to shift the contacts 52 and 53 into engagement with the contacts 55, 57, 59 and 60, the contacts 50 and 51 connected and movable with the contacts 52 and 53 being shifted out of engagemitting the spring 39 to shift the contact 38 into engagement with the contact 46 preparatory to opening the grapple when the motor circuit is again closed by the operator through the controller, to supply current in the reverse direction to the motor, as hereinbefore described.

As the grapple arms approach the limit of their closing movement the arm 43 engaging withthe tail of the contact lever 35, shifts the contact 37 out of engagement with the contact 46, thereby breaking the circuit and automatically stopping the motor Various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a grapple the combination of a portable frame, parallel shafts mounted in said frame, depending L-shaped grapple arms mounted on said shafts in pairs, one arm 7 of each pair having an upwardly extending crank arm and the other a downwardly extending crank arm, a link connecting the crank arms of each pair of opposing grapple arms, and a motor mounted on said frame and connected with one of said shafts for opening and closing the grapple arms.

2. In a grapplethe combination, of a portable frame, parallel shafts mounted in said frame, depending L-shaped grapple arms mounted on said shafts in pairs, one arm of each pair having an upwardly extending crank arm and the other a downwardly extending crank arm, a link connecting the crank arms of each pair of opposing grapple arms, a gear mounted on one of the grapple-arm shafts, a sleeve mounted on the other grapple-arm shaft and provided with a worm gear and a pinion, an intermediate shaft parallel with the grapple-arm shafts and provided with a pinion meshing with the gear on one of said grapple-arm shafts, a gear loosely mounted on the intermedite shaft and meshing with the pinion on said sleeve, a friction coupling yieldingly connecting said loose gear with the intermediate shaft, and a motor mounted on said frame and having a shaft provided with a worm meshing with the worm gear.

8.111 a grapple the combination of a portable frame, parallel horizontal shafts mounted in said frame, downwardly ex tending and inwardly bent grapple arms mounted in pairs on said shafts, links obliquely connecting opposite grapple arms adjacent to their upper ends above and below said shafts, a motor mounted on said frame, and transmission mechanism con necting the motor with one of said shafts.

4t. In a grapple the combination of a portable frame, parallel horizontal shafts mounted in said frame, inwardly bent opposing grapple arms mounted on. and depending from said frame, links obliquely connecting opposite grapple arms adjacent to their upper ends above and below said shafts and causing them to swing simultaneously toward or from each other, a motor mounted on said frame, and transmission mechanism connecting the motor and one of said shafts and comprising a worm gear and a driving worm meshing with said gear.

5. In a grapple the combination of a portable frame, parallel horizontal shafts mounted in said frame, depending grapple arms mounted opposite one another on said shafts and inwardly bent at their lower ends, links obliquely connecting opposite grapple arms adjacent to their upper ends above and below said shafts, a motor mounted on said frame, and transmission mechanism connecting the motor with one of the shafts and comprising a yieldable friction coupling.

6. In a grapple the combination of a portable frame, parallel horizontal shafts mounted in said frame, depending and inwardly bent grapple arms mounted on said shafts, links connecting opposing grapple arms in pairs so that they are caused to swing simultaneously toward or from each other, a reversible electric motor mounted on said frame and connected with one of said shafts, motor circuit controlling means operated by the grapple to automatically stop the motor when the grapple is closed and when it is opened, and means for manually closing the motor circuit and reversing the current through the motor to open and close the grapple.

In witness whereof I hereto affix my signature.

HENRY WEICKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

